Seven Quick Takes Friday

--1--

Big cooking day today.  We're having visitors tomorrow, one of whom comes from Lebanon, and so my mother-in-law is whipping up a middle eastern feast.  The main dish is Mloukhieh, a kind of spinach-like plant that you eat with chicken, onions, vinegar, and toasted pita bread.  Sounds weird, but it's really fantastic.  We've also made two big dishes of kibbe b'senyiah, and will make cucumber-yogurt salad (with garlic and mint) and some concoction with red pepper paste, nuts, pomegranate molasses and spices.  I was the sous-chef today for the kibbe, and next time I'll make it on my own under her supervision so that I'm comfortable on my own.  It involves ground beef, bulgur, onions, pinenuts, allspice and quite a bit of corn oil and butter.

--2--

Most of my Christmas shopping is done...I've got a couple of small things left to buy plus some stocking stuffers, but that'll all be easy.  I want to get it all done by the end of the weekend so that next week can be relaxing.   I picked up a stocking for Josephine today as the four of us have personalized ones that I made a few years ago.

--3--

Alex gets home from Queen's on Monday evening.  We're really looking forward to seeing him., and he has a long holiday, as he doesn't start back until January 11th.  He's got a snowboarding trip planned to Blue Mountain between Christmas and New Years, and a trip to see "a girl he's been talking to" at another university not too far from here.  He has asked for the car for both trips...I've gotten used to NOT having to share our vehicles, but it shouldn't be a problem.

--4--

I finally got the Christmas tree up last night.  We bought it last weekend, but left it on the back porch as we needed to do some furniture rearrangement first.  Michael sawed a chunk off the base of the trunk and we installed the base outside.  Then he hauled it into the living room for me and disappeared.  Z was out of town so I ended up decorating it myself, while keeping an eye on Grey's Anatomy.

--5--

I've lost the "F" key on my laptop keyboard.  It was kind of sticky and I popped it out to rmove whatever was underneath.  I think I broke something because I can't get it back on, despite watching a couple of "how-to" videos online.  I think I'll have to order another key and try again.   How annoying.  Luckily, you don't use that letter very much!

--6--

Check out The Happiness Project.  I really like this idea, and have ordered her book.  I'd like a systematic way to work on various areas of my life in a holistic way, and I've joined the 2010 Happiness Challenge.  The first two areas i'd like to tackle are my prayer life and my exercise regime (or lack thereof).

--7--

Z told me that he has a BIG SURPRISE (his caps in a recent IM) for me when he gets home.  I'm thinking it's something that starts with an "i" and ends with "Phone" but am not positive.  He's on his way home now, so I'll soon find out!